ST. PAUL — James Kenneth Norris, 91, of St. Paul, formerly of Erie, died at 3:35 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul.

He was born Aug. 24, 1920, in St. Paul to James and Leila (Inman) Norris. As a young boy, he grew up and attended schools in St. Paul and Erie.

In July 1942, he was inducted into the U.S. Army, and he served in the European Theater of World War II. Upon his honorable discharge, he was awarded the Purple Heart.

He married Helen Marnell on Jan. 3, 1946, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Walnut. Following marriage, they lived in the Erie area, where they farmed and were Grade A dairy farmers until retiring in 1989. In 2006, the couple moved to St. Paul, where they had lived since. 

He was a member of St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul and the Knights of Columbus, a life member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was also a member of Gard Lee Post No. 292, American Legion, in Walnut, where he had served as district service officer and adjutant. For numerous years, he had also served on the Agricultural Soil Conservation Service Committee. He enjoyed gardening, woodworking and, in earlier years, golfing.

Survivors include his wife, Helen Norris of Erie; five sons, Jim Norris and his wife, Charlene, of Walnut, Nick Norris and his wife, Janice, of Grove, Okla., Chris Norris and his wife, Mary Beth, of Girard, Paul Norris and his wife, Vickie, of Pittsburg and Don Norris and his wife, Kim, of Erie; a daughter, Joan Doherty and her husband, Mike, of St. Paul; 20 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; three brothers, Raymond Norris of Del City, Okla., Charles Norris of Austin, Texas, and Harold Norris of Girard; and three sisters, Lorraine Westhoff of Walnut, Loretta Guy of Las Cruces, N.M., and Mildred Birzer of Ellinwood.

He was preceded in death by three brothers, Bernard, Bill, and infant Hiram Norris.

The funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul. Burial will be in Fort Scott National Cemetery. The rosary will be prayed at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the church, where the family will receive friends immediately following the rosary.

Memorials are suggested to Prairie Mission Retirement Village or the Walnut American Legion and may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, 67357.

Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.